New Dragon Ball Artwork Recreates One of the Most Iconic Anime Movie Posters of All Time

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball franchise is a certified shonen classic, effortlessly combining laugh-out-loud humor with thrilling action scenes, compelling story arcs and unforgettable characters. However, a daring anime enthusiast has broken new ground for the franchise through fan art that merges the world of Dragon Ball with that of Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 sci-fi masterpiece, Akira.

A talented fan artist who goes by NICO (or @nicocolors) on X (formerly Twitter) recently unveiled concept art modeled after Akira‘s original film poster. The original image depicts central protagonist Shotaro Kaneda as he approaches his iconic motorcycle. Originally posted on June 25, 2024, @nicocolors’ version reimagines the scene with Future Trunks walking toward the time machine he uses during Dragon Ball Z‘s famous “Androids Saga.” Additionally, Akira’s title text is replaced with the word “HOPE,” — a reference to Trunk’s unflinching determination to defeat the androids and take back Earth’s future from their villainous creator, Dr. Gero.

Trunks and Goten from Dragon Ball Super in their Saiyaman X-1 and X-2 outfits

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New Artwork Perfectly Combines the Worlds of Dragon Ball and Akira

NICO’s clever artistic tribute is actually part of a much larger fan project. Earlier this year, the creator released a prologue chapter for a new self-created manga project titled “Not Taken,” seen above. Set in the Dragon Ball universe, the manga’s plot explores what might have occurred if Kakarot had never landed on Earth after being sent into space as a baby. NICO’s original X description reads: “What will be the fate of Kakarot, who has made an emergency landing on a planet other than Earth? A battle begins over ‘something’ that is on that planet and related to Frieza.” The prologue’s debut was accompanied by fan art that also paid tribute to Akira‘s original movie poster. Notably, one of these illustrations features Goku’s father, Bardock — initially an anime-original character who eventually became canonized in the Dragon Ball manga series.

Written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, who also created the manga version, Akira transports viewers to the cyberpunk-style world of Neo-Tokyo — a vibrant dystopian metropolis plagued by terrorism and government corruption. One night, Tetsuo Shima, the best friend of central protagonist Shotaro Kaneda, crashes his motorcycle into Takashi, an esper who is on the run from Neo-Tokyo’s authorities. After Tetsuo and Kaneda are taken into custody, it is discovered that Tetsuo also possesses powerful psychic abilities that he can’t control, making him a new government target. Determined to help Tetsuo, Kaneda teams up with an anti-government activist named Kei. Meanwhile, Tetsuo seeks out a powerful esper named Akira who may hold the key to mastering his newfound abilities.

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Dragon Ball and Akira Both Had a Massive Influence on Overseas Anime Viewers

While Dragon Ball and Akira are vastly different works, they are united by a mutual icon status that has withstood the test of time. Along with Pokémon and Sailor Moon, both franchises have been credited for popularizing anime in North America. Additionally, both works introduced classic themes and tropes that would become prominently featured in future manga and anime series. Regarding the “Not Taken” fan manga, NICO does not mention if Akira specifically influenced the series. However, their cleverly designed Akira x Dragon Ball concept illustrations will undoubtedly make a strong impression on anime fans who have fond memories of Otomo’s legendary science-fiction flick.

Dragon Ball fans can find additional updates regarding NICO’s “Not Taken” manga via their X page. The original Dragon Ball manga, in addition to Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, is available in English from VIZ Media. Akira is currently available to stream on Hulu.

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.
Akira (1988)

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.